Lubrication of thrust-bearings.



c. A. PARsos, ssx COOK & L. M. DOUGLAS.

A APPLICATION FILE-D IAN.15. |911.

Patented Mali. 4, 1919.

L Inval@ afa r resPwmsw@ EQ@ 05u05 Magi ALGERNON PARSONS,

,end-on-'lyne,` in 'the county CHARLES ALGE'RNQN reasons, s'rANLE noueLAs,Y or w'ALLsEND, ENGLAND; 'sA-1n cooK ANL sam DOUGLAS Assurerons To sam Pensons..

Y SMTH COOK, AND LOUIS MORTIMER LUBRIGATI'ON or *rHnUsT-BEABINGS.

n To all whom t 'mag/concern.'

.Be it known that we, the Hon. Sir CHARLES l K. B., STANLEY SMITH COOK, and L'oUrs MORTIMER DOUGLAS, all subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and all ofTurbinia Works, Walls- Y of Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and use-ful Improvements in and Relating to the Lubrication of Thrust-Bearings, of

which the following is a specification.

rlhe presentv invention relates to the lubrication of thrust bearings of the type inl which a plurality of collars are provided on the rotating member, these collars bearing againStsta'tiOnary collars, and this invention relates more particularly to thrust yeo bearingsof this type in which .fresh lubricant is fed through radial ducts in the stationary collarsto the annular .spaces between the roots of adjacent revolvingv collars, and theiinner surfaces of the 'stationary collars'.

The 'object of the present invention is to make use of the pumping action due to the rotation'of Ithe collars and the viscosity of the lubricant, to insure that. fresh lubricant is circulated 'across the entire working face of each collar.

TheJ inventionconsists in providing two.

sets of gutters in the working faces of the stationary collarsQthe two sets being oppositelyy inclined and extending completely across the working face, .so as to provide clear passagesthrough which when rotation takes place in either direction, lubricant admitted to the roots of the revolving 'collars can flow outwardto outlets at the roots of the stationary collars.

The invention further consists in providing at the inner surface vof each stationary collar, recesses with each of which the' inner ,ends of a radial inlet duct and a pair of oppositely inclined gutters communicate, the outer ends of the inclined gutters belngarranged to freely discharge lubricant `received from the inlet duct beyond the periphery of the adjacent revolving collar.

The invention further consists in the improved thrust' bearings and details thereof hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying ings draw-A Speciicatien of Letters Patent.

.provided for the inlet andpassages f v a recess k in the form ters can discharge.

Patented. Mar. 4,1919.

Application filed January 15, 1917.- Serial No. 142,544.

Figure 1 is a plan of the housing carrying the stationary collars, the outer casting being partially removed. f

Fig. 2 is an axial section on the line X-X, Fig. A3.

Fig3 isa transverse section. the left-hand side on the line Y-Y and the right-hand side on the line Z-Z, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line T-T, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V, Fig. 3, while Fig.l Gis a section on the line W-W, Fig. 3. l

In carrying the invention .into effect according to the form illustrated as applied to a thrust bearingl of the kind in which the stationary collars a, a are divided into two rparts` one adaptedI to receive forward thrust and the other rearward thrust, there are provided a plurality of collars b upon the rotating memben o.

ffhe stationary members are seclued in asuitable housing, preferably inthe form of castings d, and havlng suitable passages c for the outlet of lubricant. Each half of a stationary collar is provided with at least two radial ducts which are carried completely through the colla-r to the inner surface of the 'same. At the inner ends of the inlet ducts, recesses g areprovided which are carried through to the working' face of the collar. Uponthe working face of the collar gutters -or grooves h are provided sloping in opposite directions and extending from the recesses above mentioned outwardly to the periphery of the stationary collar;y

Two such grooves orvgutters extending in opposite vdirections preferably communicate with the inner end of each inlet;dnct,e.

The-outer ends of the inclined gutters are carried s uiiciently past the working surface of the collar to permit the free escape of lubricant when the co-acting face of a revolving collar is in lubricated contact with the stationary collar face.

In some cases it is desirable to provide i of a circumferential groove or 'gutter into which the inclined gut -The provision of such a circumferential gutter also prevents the for.- mation of ridges in the face of the stationary collar due to wear: such a ridge formed by wear would impede the free escape of the lubricant.

The ends ofthe stationary collars a or liorseshoes, are preferably chanifered, as shown-in Fig 5, to prevent lubricant being swept ottn the face of the rotating collar.

4It will be seen that the construction described provides gutters having an unrestricted Vpassage for lubricant across' the entire working facefof the stationary collars; the gutters thus do not act merely as reservoirs for oil but in conjunction with the rotating collars and the viscosityof the oil, they provide .a viscous pump to accelerate the outward lowoflubricant, thus insuring that fresh oil isbeing circulated continuously across tl-ie'working faces of the collars.

By providing two sets of inclined gutters lz.. Iz, inclined in opposite directions, the action described can take place in either direction of rotation of the member whose thrust is to be supported.

It is preferred to provide the outlet pas i sage Z from the housing at the upper side of the housing. this passage communicating by suitable radial ducts Y. with thespaces between tlie roots of adjacent stationary collars and theperiplieries of the iotatiiig collars. By arranging that the total areal for iiow through the inlet ducts is larger than that. of the outlet ducts, the bearing is completely flooded with oil under a slight pres sure.

It will be understood that although described with reference to a thrust bearing having divided stationary collars, the present .invention is equally applicable to a thrust beariiio having undivided disk-like stationaiy collars or to thrust bearings of the kind in which although divided collars 4are employed, no vadjustment is provided for, and only lubricant;clearance is provided between adjacent revolyiiig collars and the interposed stationary collars.

It is also applicable-to cases in which the thrust is in one direction only, in which case the gutters are cut on one side only of the.

ystationary collars.

. It is obvious that many modifications may be made in carrying the present invention into eifect without departing from the spirit of the same.

Having n oW described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A thrust bea-ring comprising a rotating member, a plurality of collars on said mein-I ber, a ixed member, stationary collars on :said fixed iiiember,said rotating collais ininterengaging with said stationary collars,

two sets of gutters on theworking faces of said stationary collars,said sets being op'positely inclined and extending coinpl-etely across:l the working face, means vfor admitting lubricant to the roots of said revolving collars, radial inlet ducts leading to the roots of said rotating collars, recesses in said stationary collars in communication with the inner ends of said 'radialducts and a pair of oppositely inclined gutters,

and discharge passages for lubricant beyondthey periphery of said revolving collars, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specilication.

CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS. STANLEY SMITH COOK. LOUIS MORTIMER DOUGLAS. 

